The Art of Hearing!

The Art of Hearing!

I realized this morning as I was in the midst of my Bible study that I make a choice every day… even before I get out of bed!  I was writing out a personalized version concerning Piper and I of Proverbs 3:5-6 based on The Message Bible.  I hadn’t really planned out the words I was writing but found myself jotting down that: “We trust God from the bottom of our hearts; and we do not try to figure out everything on our own.  We choose instead to listen for God’s voice in everything we do, everywhere we go; for he’s the one who will keep us on track.”

It was when I got to the part about listening for God’s voice, that it dawned on me that one has to be expecting to hear that particular voice in order to receive His advice.  And that is when it hit me that the first deliberate choice I make each day is to put God first and trust in His Word for the outcome of my day!

I’m not sure when I started going to God in His Word first each and every day, but it’s been a habit of mine for as long as I can now remember.  I expect to learn something from Him and hear His voice through His Word as I verbally confess it and physically study it within the pages of my various Bibles.  Then I continue to expect to hear that voice in cooperation with His Word and Spirit throughout the various activities of that day.

Following a hunch, I looked up the definition of the word “voice” and learned that it is described as “a range of such sounds distinctive to one person.” (Dictionary.com)  That immediately made me think that I would know my wife’s voice anywhere!  She has a very distinctive pitch, enthusiasm, a unique “crackle” and comfort in her tonal qualities that I have learned to easily pick out from a crowd of other voices.  Her voice and Spirit-led reasonings still rings true and clear in my ears to this day, even though she hasn’t verbally spoken for quite some time now.

The question I ask myself from time to time is if I can hear God’s voice as well as I have come to know my wife’s?  Looking back on Piper’s and my history, I would have to say that we have a pretty good track record in recognizing His voice… not that there haven’t been some mis-ques, but overall I would say we do okay… mainly because of our daily time with Him and our continual listening for that voice!  According to Dictionary.com to “listen” means to pay attention; to heed and obey; to wait attentively for a sound.” 

In the case of hearing God’s voice, it entails an attentive listening for the familiar sound of His voice.  That familiarity takes a lot of well-spent time with Him in His Word, prayer and praise and worship… akin to the loads of time that I have enjoyed being in the presence of my wife over the last 48 years!  I know and would recognize her voice because I’ve made the point to spend a lot of time with her.  We are also very familiar with God’s voice because we not only have spent a lot of time with Him in His Word and prayer, but also through the many steps and experiences of faith we’ve taken with Him over the years.

There are many voices in our world that we have learned to simply NOT listen to!  Other’s we’ll take as counsel when they’re in line with what we believe God is telling us and still others that have such a good track record with us that we’ll seek out and listen attentively to.

I believe that it is up to each of us personally, to learn the validity of all the voices that speak to us.  For me, that process starts and ends with having an intimate knowing of God and His Word.  It is through that regular quality time spent with Him where we develop the ability to pick out His voice from all the others trying to gain an in-road with us.

So what choice are you needing to make when it comes to differentiating the voices speaking to you?  For me and my wife it has always been about:

1)    Putting Him First

2)    Spending regular quality time alone with Him, and then

3)    EXPECTING to hear and obey His voice

I never go anywhere without having an attentive ear set to His frequency!  How about you?

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “Whose VOICE am I expecting to HEAR today?”

Looking Back...

Have you ever looked back in time and thought about particular incidents that you wish you could have done differently… or not at all?  I sure have!  In fact, I was talking with my wife about some of those situations as I was preparing dinner just last night.  In particular, I was reminiscing over some repeated interactions we had had with some folks over the years. 

At the time, things looked and felt right, but later in life when a difficult situation arose, we learned that the other individuals did not always have the same outlook on our interactions as we did… even though they always presented themselves as positive and willing participants, having originally initiated the interactions to begin with!

As I relived some of the hurt I felt when these revelations came out, I looked at Piper and said, “You know… the bottom line is that it is probably all my fault!  I should have seen it and put a stop to it.”  But then I recalled some things that immediately made me reconsider what I had just said.

I remembered the many discussions and times of intense prayer that Piper and I had before bringing the other folks into our situations.  Then as I was studying the Word this morning I saw some things in the Word that seemed to support my change of heart… and stop the self-condemnation that I was beginning to heap on myself!

While in the Word today I had personalized Proverbs 3:5-6 and declared over myself that “I trust in you Lord with all of my heart, and I do not rely on my own understanding.  In all of my ways I acknowledge You, for you are the One who makes my paths smooth.” (God’s Word – personalized)  As I explored these verses, I followed my usual pattern of study and looked up the original Hebrew and Greek definition of certain words that I felt were key to the true meaning of what was being said.

Well, it turns out that the Greek meaning of the word “acknowledge” is defined as “a derivative of ‘ginosko’” which infers having a close relationship with or intimate knowing of someone.  The phrase “makes my paths smooth” means “to make straight, to dissect correctly” (Strong’s) or “To handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly.” (Thayer’s)

My remembrances of the discussions and times of prayer with my wife connected with a deeper understanding of this portion of scripture and suddenly got me to thinking that maybe… just maybe… what we did wasn’t necessarily a mistake but exactly how God wanted us to proceed in the first place.  While sharing all this with Piper last night I suddenly had to stop in mid-sentence and say “You know… I’ve always said that you are the most spiritually sensitive person I have ever known and if our actions were wrong at the time you would have sensed something amiss in your spirit!”

That revelation and the time in the Word this morning brought a great sigh of relief to me… and also kicked that ugly condemnation right square in the teeth!  Then it hit me that just because the other individuals involved didn’t act in faith and as an operation in which Papa God was involved as we did, it doesn’t mean that it is all my fault… right?

Maybe that part of the equation is all in their ballpark… We did our part as we believed the Lord was leading us… and they were responsible to do their part in line with their own “ginosko” relationship with the Lord.  I can look back on many of the bumps in our journey through life and see how the Lord worked miracles throughout the entire time… even though it may not have looked like it when we were in the midst of the situations.

Today I can reflect on all the good things that happened due to the physical location changes that we may have had to make and witness all the special people’s lives that we got to interact with along the way.  I think of the neighborhood kids who got saved, the countless new friends we made, the joy we had in those homes and neighborhoods and all the blessings received and given. 

Would I change any of that?  NO WAY!  So, who am I to say that we missed it or messed up along the way.  What right do I have to think that I would change this or that if I could?  From this point of view… we were in God’s plan ALL THE TIME!  So why condemn yourself for what MIGHT have been, but rejoice and be glad in what was and in what will be in your future.

If God can do all the miracles in our life like He has done in our past… JUST THINK about what HE can do in our future!!!

So, I choose this day to REJOICE in our past… exactly the way it happened.  I am thankful for all the good lessons I’ve learned and of all the things we got to do for HIM in ministry and in daily life!  

What about you and your past… and the future to come?

Have a great new week ahead, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “What good things am I expecting to experience today?”

All means ___________!

As I sit in here at the dining room table writing this post this morning, our house is filled with the sounds and vibrations of men above us removing the old roofing tiles from our roof!  I’ve been working toward today’s activities for a few months now.  Our roof, along with many in our neighborhood, sustained hail damage when a strong thunderstorm, complete with a small tornado hit our area toward the end of last year.  I was originally told by a roofing inspector that our damage was not too bad, so with the holidays coming I put it off because I had enough to deal with at the time!

So, fast track ahead a few months when I talked again to one of the roofers who had originally contacted us and we put the roofing claim into motion.  When our insurance company’s independent adjuster came out to look at the roof he declared that there was damage on the front half of the house but not on the back.  My roofer who was up on the roof with the adjuster disagreed and I had a few conversations with the insurance claims adjuster who relented and told me to have our roofer take some pictures of the back damage and she would add it to the claim!  And weeks later… here we are!

I arose early since I knew that they would be delivering the materials around 7:00 AM and I wanted to be available in case anyone had questions.  But when I woke up I discovered that I was filled with some concerns for… well, to be honest… just about everything!

As I stepped into the bathroom to get ready for the day, I was concerned for Piper’s welfare, the new roof along with the lightning rod system and satellite TV dish that’s up there, the Hospice aid coming by, the new shoes I finally purchased yesterday, how the dog was going to react to all the strangers around the house today, the need to pick up some prescriptions for Piper, when I was going to mow the lawns with rain in the forecast… and the list went on and on!

Then in the middle of all that anxiousness I heard that small still voice inside of me quietly saying, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 God’s Word ©)  But the one word that really seemed to be emphasized in my brain was that little word “ALL” and I immediately thought, “That is a lot!  That means EVERYTHING… doesn’t it?”

And in fact, when I looked up the word “ALL” in the original Hebrew it does mean “The whole, in totality” (Strong’s).  In the Greek it is defined as “Complete in extent, amount, time or degree.” (Strong’s)  And in English it also means “the whole of one's energy or interest.”  So, you can see that in just about any language “ALL” means the same thing… “ALL!”

Not a lot of wiggle room there, wouldn’t you say?  It is kind of embarrassing when the Lord catches you doing something you shouldn’t be doing!  I like the way that the Message Bible puts verse five.  It tells us to “Trust in the Lord from the bottom of your heart…”  When I read that paraphrase this morning my first thought was that the bottom is where the sediment always settles!  And what is the sediment?  According to Dictionary.com it is the “dregs” or “the least valuable part of anything!”

So, I therefore took that thought as meaning that we need to trust the Lord for everything… including the yucky and undesirable parts of life that we might be experiencing, that we tend to let sink to the bottom of the barrel so that we don’t have to deal with it… at least not right away!

Proverbs 3:6 in the Message suggests that we “Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; (for) he's the one who will keep you on track.”  To me that means that we have to actively turn a deaf ear to the negative thoughts that scream in our heads and turn an attentive ear to God and His voice!

That’s something that I was able to do this morning and boy, do I feel better about everything that’s on my plate!  I still get the nudges from the negative side, but I am working to keep those potentially destructive suggestions quiet!  How?  By regular feedings of the Word while in constant communication with God.  I’d rather hear His voice over those other ones… ANYTIME!  Wouldn’t you?

So, I’ll turn back to my daily activities… try to ignore the bangs, creaks, and hollers from the roofers up there and concentrate on the Lord, His Word and how great it will be to have a nice new covering over our heads!

Have a great weekend and let HIM have ALL your cares and concerns today!  And while you’re at it, keep telling yourself that… “I am expecting to trust in the Lord today with ALL my heart… for EVERYTHING!”

Lines of Communication

One of the big lessons that I have learned over the years after being a part of the management teams in three large corporations, Assistant Pastor in five different churches and having run my own business, is the importance of clear and concise communication…. And lots of it!

Now… don’t get me wrong here!  I am not saying that I am an expert in the field but have experienced enough hard knocks to understand the need and to make my utmost best attempts to communicate the needed information in a way that is easily understood and acted upon in the correct manner and maybe most importantly, in a way that is encouraging and not destructive!  And as many of you probably know… that is NOT always the easiest task to complete!

My wife and I have been asked many times as to what we felt were some of the keys to our long-lasting marriage.  Our first response almost always centers round our mutual trust in the Lord and the team nature of our relationship.  Lately I have been thinking about how our openness in communication with each other has also played a most important role in the success of our union.  I must admit that I can’t think of a single time in the 48 years that we have been together when either of us couldn’t come up with something to say to the other!

From the long conversations on the phone after school and my job at the print shop when we first started dating to the quick daily catch-up calls when I was at work later in our marriage or the hours staying up late discussing just about anything… when we probably should have been sleeping!  Then there were all the Sunday afternoon rides in the car or mini-vacations on the coast where we loved to take off the T-tops on my Camaro and simply drive and talk!

And today I still talk to her all the time… even though she is not able to reply.  I sometimes get the weirdest looks from fellow shoppers at the store as I push Piper down the aisles and talk aloud to her, even though she looks to be asleep.

I read in some of the research I have done concerning the care of individuals in situations like Piper’s where they suggest that you don’t always tell the loved one all the details of what’s going on as they might not comprehend the magnitude of the information or become upset.  But you know… I just can’t do that.  We have always been completely open with each other and I am not about to start holding back information from her now!  I always try to respect her and talk to her just like I did before all this began.

Over the years I have also learned the importance of regular, honest and open communication between myself and Papa God.  There are times, especially over the last few years where I have needed to be brutally honest with Him when in prayer.  After all, Hebrews 4:13 tells us that “No creature can hide from God. Everything is uncovered and exposed for him to see. We must answer to him.” (God’s Word ©) He sees all and knows all about us… so why try to hide anything from Him… especially your personal feelings!

On the other side of the conversation, I have also learned that “God's word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God's word judges a person's thoughts and intentions.” (Hebrews 4:12 God’s Word ©) The KJV translates “living and active” as “quick and powerful.”  The Greek definition of quick actually means ‘to breath, be among the living” and “having vital power in itself…” (Strong’s and Thayer’s)

In other words, God’s Word is in reality… Him talking directly to you and me!  In reference to this thought, I recently read in a book where the author stated that “to the heart that is in fellowship with the Father, the Word is a present tense, living voice from heaven.” (E.W. Kenyon, In His Presence, p69)  We talk to God in prayer and He talks to us through His Word. 

Normally Piper and I would talk back and forth to each other.  I say something and then wait for her reply.  I was looking at roof shingle samples yesterday and was having a difficult time choosing the right color, so in frustration I finally turned to Piper who was asleep in her chair between me and the roofing company representative and said “Help!  Piper I need your input!”  And while she didn’t actually wake up and verbally say anything, because of our years of open and honest communication, I know her so well now that when we stepped outside to compare samples to the house color, I had an instant peace about which color she would have preferred!

And it is the same way with God.  Since we communicate so much in prayer and in the Word, I have a pretty good idea of His will for me in most situations.  Sometimes we have to “discuss” things a little more, but after extended times in prayer and the Word, the answers always come!

How open are your lines of communication with your spouse, children, friends and with Papa God?  If needed… there is no better time than right now to start bridging any gaps!

Have a good rest of the week, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “How good am I expecting my communication with God and with those close to me to be?”

Why?

I found myself sitting on the floor next to the front door one day last week going through a stack of photos.  I was hoping to find a suitable picture to add to the blog post I had written earlier in the day.  The photos were from a box that our daughter had complied from various family snapshots from the middle to late 1990’s.  As I glanced at the prints I began to recollect the many vacations, family outings, holidays, school events and extended family gatherings that the pictures documented.

With a sudden tearing up and an emotional jolt, I also thought about how that time seemed to be when my wife Piper was in the midst of her prime years!  That thought brought with it a wide range of emotions in me.  I went from sadness to anger and everywhere in-between within a very short period of time. 

I’ve been able to keep pretty good control over my physical emotions during this extremely difficult period of time that began with her initial brain scans in Oklahoma back in 2007, but on that day, it was like everything hit the fan at once… and the only thing I could utter was “WHY?”

But before condemnation could overtake me with concerns over the few negative things that were said about our family as we struggled to get a handle on Piper’s health needs, I suddenly had the revelation of how out of touch those comments really were as the Lord showed all the positive things that my lovely wife has accomplished in her life.  And I saw in an instant what the Lord was trying to get me to understand.  He was leading me into the place of peace so that I could dwell on the dreams, plans and desires that were accomplished instead of what might not be.  I realized that our relationship with God and with each other enabled Piper to pursue and realize the majority of her deepest desires and dreams.

Piper always wanted a big family that could grow up in a Christian home filled with love and encouragement.  One where the siblings could grow up with strong loving relationships with minimal squabbling and maximum care for each other.  She was diligently aware of the atmosphere in our home throughout the years.  She was quick to encourage and even quicker to lift up unified praise. 

One of her greatest dreams was to homeschool our kids and she was undaunted in pursuing this desire, even when society and extended family looked at her like she was from outer space when she gleamingly talked about it.  She went out of her way to research the process and then seek and find the best resources for our kids… even when finances where tight. 

She was relentless in staying up to date on the best curriculums available (which were rather limited when we first began in the early 1980’s) and in preparing and developing her own particular style of hands-on teaching in bringing the best experience to our kids that she could develop.  She turned just about EVERY activity at home, at church, at the store and on vacation into a fun-filled, practical learning experience.

I’ve written on many occasions how Piper was adamantly committed to her personal walk with the Lord.  It wasn’t just something she did… it was who she was!  There was no way you could separate the two.  When you squeezed her (which I’ve done a lot...), the love of Jesus always came out!  I remember her praying and confessing one day years ago, that we would always live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood… and we always have!

She liked cars and enjoyed driving ones with wide tires and chrome rims… and you know… except for an old Mazda that a fellow student gave to us while attending Bible School in Oklahoma… every car that she called hers over the 48 years of our relationship has met that heart desire.

She enjoyed being in ministry leadership and has done so in every church we’ve attended and/or served and in doing so has touched the hearts and lives of multiple generations of children and youth.  We’ve got to travel around the country attending various ministry training seminars and conventions and have attended the meetings of many well-known evangelists and Bible teachers.

We’ve also been able to take our kids out to the mountains and seaside in order to experience the pleasures of God’s handiwork first hand through camping and later RV vacations that the kids still talk about today.

I think one of the biggest things that my wife can write on her life’s resume, is that the word “CAN’T” was NOT a part of our regularly used vocabulary!  As we learned to take our place in life in relationship to the ever-increasing knowledge of who the Word of God says we are in Christ, we learned to “plunge into the promises” of God and “come up strong, ready for God.” (Romans 4:20 MSG)

Our relationship with each other in communion with our ever-increasing and growing personal relationship with Papa God has always allowed Piper to be all that she has desired to be.  I can remember watching conversations between her and other Mom’s at meetings for our Homeschool group when they were discussing the possibilities of some new project or event for the students and see the incredulous look on the other Mom’s faces when Piper would simply, with a big smile on her face, reply to their words of impossibility with a hearty… “Why not?  We can do that!”

I can honestly say that I have never tried to hold her back… Okay… maybe one time when she wanted to get a bright, fire-engine red Suburban, and I thought that all that red was too much!  You have to understand that she had been praying for a Suburban for years and I felt it was too big! 

But as usual, her prayers won over and the Lord broke through my thick head and showed me that with four kids, a trailer and Piper’s desire to take all the kids in the neighborhood to church with us… that the Suburban was the only vehicle that would work for us!   So, when the Lord made a financial way for us to get one we did… with the one compromise… a green truck over the red!

So… like I said early on… The successes of Piper’s life up to now have FAR exceeded the “What could be” in the future.  Piper and I have always strived to focus on God’s abilities and not our own.  She has lived her life to please the Lord and in doing so been a fantastic blessing to me, our kids and just about everyone else that her life has touched.

So… looking back to the other day… I really have NOTHING to feel sad or angry about.  My sweet wife has lived a good life.  She has had the pleasure of accomplishing almost everything that is dear to her heart… and who knows what the future has to offer.  She may continue on to accomplish many more activities that originate in her heart’s desire and are fulfilled through prayer, praise and determination… or move on to her greatest heart’s desire and go home to be with the One she has faithfully served every single moment of her life since walking that church aisle at eight years of age… to accept Him as her personal Savior and Lord.

Therefore… Instead of getting angry or sad… I choose to REJOICE for I've had a part in that wonderful life!  Isn’t God good!

Have a great week ahead, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting to do for Papa God with my life today?”

PS:  I realized another important area that makes Piper who she is... and that is her love of music.  She is able to fluently play the flute and piccolo and even a little bit of guitar (and also took organ lessons in college!) - but her real passion over the years has been her affection for the piano!  She took lessons into her college years and continued to develop and improve her craft through the years.  Classically trained, she taught all our kids to play and understand the basics of music theory.  They all continue to pursue their own love of music to this day!  It's funny in that, when she could no longer understand the music sheets around 2011, she would just sit down at her piano and make beautiful music as her little fingers seemed to literally fly across the keys playing whatever came to mind... which is something that she could never do before! 

Honor and Respect!

I have always sought to honor my wife.  From the seemingly little things like opening car doors for her, making sure her needs are met before others, seeking her advice, and keeping an open line of communication with her, to the importance of making sure that she never feels left out of conversations when we are with other people.  I’ve also attempted to never talk negatively about her… even in jest… in private to others or when in public like at work, church, in the neighborhood or at extended family gatherings.  As far as I am concerned, my wife and our family’s private business is just that… private!  If I have a problem with my wife or family I will gently go to them with my concerns.

I have been around too many people that I have worked with, church member’s or extended family members who will joke about and belittle their spouses when gathered with others and to be honest, it actually hurts me to witness this, for I would consider it to be very disrespectful. 

Now that my wife can no-longer care for herself and verbally communicate with others, I have found myself putting aside my own desires and humbling myself in the face of some distasteful things… simply because I have chosen to continually respect and honor her in the knowledge of how she would have lovingly handled the negative situations.  In the long run… it is worth it because she is worth it to me!

Romans 4:20-21 as translated in the God’s Word translation, also got me to thinking about honor and respect when it comes to following the directions that Papa God gives to us as we seek Him in the affairs of our daily lives.  I was kind of thinking about this out loud a few hours ago as my wife and I were on our weekly pilgrimage to our local Super Walmart for groceries.  This scripture says that “He (Abraham) didn't doubt God's promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, giving honor to God for the promise, he became strong because of faith and was absolutely confident that God would do what he promised.” 

Most Bible versions like the King James say “giving glory to God” but a quick reference to the original Greek will explain that the term “In the New Testament always (speaks of) a good opinion concerning someone resulting in praise, honor and glory.” (Thayer’s)  So, from what I can deduce, the thought of giving “honor to God” is very apropos in its usage here. 

When I first read this yesterday, I was struck with the revelation that by taking the time to seek out God’s will in His Word for any particular situation in your life and then taking the corresponding actions in faith to release the power of God into your need, you are in effect… according to this scripture… HONORING God!  But the more I thought about it on the winding road through the deep green tobacco fields on the way to town today, I realized that this is only the first step!

The real test of one’s commitment, respect and honor to God comes when you hit the bumps in the road along the way to the manifestation of your answered prayer, that want to shake your stand of faith!  For us it was a few good meaning (I hope) folks who did their best to dissuade us from obeying God.  For others it might be what you are physically seeing before you that is contrary to the end effect you’re believing for or a lack of finances, or ill health or… anything that tries to get your eyes off the prize that God has promised you in His Word.

What I began to see today was that the commitment to seek and then follow God’s plan in order to trust in Him for His provision was like when Piper and I said “I Do” some 43 years ago!  We made a commitment or contract with each other back then that we have always taken most seriously and aim to NEVER break!  In my way of thinking, it is the same as when I step out in faith that is founded on a living Word based agreement with God.

When the pressures come, I have a decision to make.  Will I honor my commitment or contract with God or… honor the person or thing that is putting pressure on me to give up and let go of God’s promise?  I also had the thought that once I make that contract with God, the rest is in His hands.  Therefore, when I choose Him over someone or something else, the outside party has to deal directly with Him! 

You see at that point, I am taken out of the equation and whatever the person(s) or things that come against me may say or do in retaliation to my not agreeing with them is, in actuality, between them and God!  And that frees me from any negative emotions that I might have otherwise felt and have to deal with!

Hummm… what do you think?  The more I investigate the scriptures, the more I see in the “fine print” at the bottom of the commitments or contracts I make with God when it comes to acting on His Word!  He always has my back… and yours as well!

Praise God!  Have a terrific weekend, and as you do, keep telling yourself… “That I am expecting Papa God to always have my back when I step out in faith that is firmly based on the truth of His Word!”

Taking the Plunge!

While I was out-front mowing the front lawn on the riding mower yesterday, in the 100+ degree weather, I found myself thinking about… JOY!  But it is not what you’re probably thinking… I was actually enjoying myself, even with the perspiration draining down my forehead into my eyes!  Call me crazy, but I have always enjoyed working outside in the heat.  That’s probably one reason I have had a side business mowing lawns and tending to yards on and off again since I was in Jr High.

Yesterday, I was just happy to be outside as it had been raining for almost two weeks and the sunshine was a happy place to be!  And speaking of happy places… as I rumbled up and down our large expanse of lawn… with a smile on my face… I couldn’t help but continually glance up to our covered porch where my wife was sitting comfortably in the shade overseeing my progress.  Looking at her reminded me of how she has always had the uncanny ability to turn almost any task into a joy-filled experience.

It seemed that our house was always a beehive of activity and noise when our kids were growing up.  And being as Piper homeschooled them through high school, they were around a lot and with it followed the serendipity of laughter, music, praise, singing, running and lots of loud talking!  Wow!  Do I miss a that!

Back on the lawn mower I thought about the typical scene in our kitchen.  The four children helping with the meal prep with one cutting up veggies, another stirring something in a pot on the stove, a third setting the table and the forth diligently following the instructions from the cookbook set before them on the kitchen counter and in the middle of all this… was my happy wife directing it all with the finesse of an orchestra conductor! 

Then of course, skirting in and out of the crowd would be me as I gave a hand, checked on the BBQ on the patio right outside the family room door or grabbed Piper or one of the girls and danced them in-between all the bodies crammed in the kitchen space!  Through it all I can’t hardly think of ONE time when Piper would get upset about anything in the midst of all the organized chaos!  She just has an infectious joy about her.

I really think that Piper LOOKED for reasons and opportunities to be joyful throughout each and every day… and it all started with her personal devotion to the Word, prayer and the many faith projects that we pursued on almost a continual basis during our dating and then on into our marriage.

I caught a whiff of the fragrance of that same idea as I read Romans 4:19-20 from the Message Bible earlier this morning.  Speaking of Abraham’s phenomenal faith, Paul writes… as translated in this very modern paraphrase of the Bible… that “Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, ‘It's hopeless’… He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said.” 

The thought of “PLUNGING into the promise” and coming back “up strong and ‘READY’ for God” really reached out and grabbed ahold of my imagination!  All I could say was “BINGO!” and stomp my foot as I sat at the table this morning… I think I even shook up the dog who was sleeping comfortably under my feet when I had that reaction!

I had the almost immediate revelation that the various steps of faith that we’ve taken along the road of life… and especially lately… have filled us with expectation and given us something of JOY to look at and depend on… instead of at the situation we were believing by faith to change.

 I think that this was one of the big take-aways from our three-year experience in Oklahoma with Bible College and being totally saturated in God’s Word!  When we came back to California we were READY!  We knew that we had a battle on our hands with the preliminary findings on Piper’s health needs and were excited to PLUNGE into God’s promises and then stand READY and expectant for God’s moving in our behalf!

It's exactly like one of my favorite stories of Piper unexpectantly PLUNGING into the frigid snow melt waters of Little Jamison Creek at Plumas Eureka State Park to the complete amazement and awe of all the kids and myself and then splashing up READY for any other challenge that we might send her way! 

As we began to PLUNGE into the different steps of faith that we believed Papa God was instructing us to take, not everyone around us had that same focus and commitment.  But you know, that didn’t matter!  We were desperate enough to PLUNGE into God’s promises with every morsel of expectation that we could muster!  We dove into the river of faith and came up READY for God.  We focused our attention on God’s promises and I might add JOYFULLY, looked for God, anticipated Him, and expected His move in whatever usual or unusual manner He Might choose!

With our focus on Him and His Word we found the way to have JOY even in the midst of some of the hardest moments in our lives.  And as an added benefit, His JOY has given us the strength to keep going during all the ups and downs of this adventure in faith! (See: Nehemiah 8:10)

So, what would YOU rather have?  Joy or impotence?  Joy comes when you focus your attention and actions on the Word… Impotence comes when you focus your attention on all the things that seem impossible within the scope of your own resources or abilities or even with the limited means and ways of the world in which we live.  According to our scripture, Abraham choose to NOT focus on His own impotence but instead to PLUNGE head first into God’s promises and come up READY for whatever action God provided! 

I like the God kind of action… how about you?

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do keep asking yourself… “In what or in whom am I expecting to PLUNGE my faith into today?”

Take it Easy… on yourself!

With Piper turning sixty-five (can you believe that!) in a couple of weeks, I’ve been busy working on getting her set up for her senior medical care insurance.  I was familiar with the process as I had studied out the various options available about six months ago when I prepared for my own admission into the coveted Medicare Card Club!  Piper’s though, was to be a little different since she is on Hospice care.  Medicare covers the Hospice expenses in entirety so we didn’t need a supplemental care policy like I have, but would most likely need a prescription drug plan.

Since she has one particular prescription that she takes twice a day which cost over $1700.00 for a thirty-day supply, I figured a Rx plan would be a good addition!  So, with that all acquired and ready to go at the beginning of this month, we met with Piper’s Hospice Social Worker and her case nurse on Tuesday to take her off Hospice care under the old insurance policy and then sign her back up with Medicare.

We’ve worked quite closely with both of these two individuals over the last year and they are like family to us!  They’ve always given Piper the best of care with great compassion, love and dignity and have listened to me on many occasions as I’ve opened up my heart strings to them.  As the nurse was giving Piper a thorough exam and the Social Worker and I were going over all the new paperwork, I shared with them that at times I feel so helpless when Piper is having a rough day like she had that morning.

Those feelings of helplessness and the uncertainty of my doing my utmost best for her also at times, enters into my faith life when it comes to our stand of faith for Piper’s healing.  There are times that I question my own faith as well as my own spiritual, physical and emotional strength when it comes to my commitment to what we mutually agreed upon back in 2007 as our stand on God’s Word… no matter what the physical circumstances may be exhibiting at the moment. 

I get angry when doubt and unbelief knock at my door and I tend to be my own worse critic!  I tell myself that “I can do better!” and that “I will not entertain thoughts different than what we are believing for.” That “the strong man of faith that I desire to be would not give in but always be strong like the great men and women of our faith were in Bible times!”

But you know?  That’s a hard standard to set for oneself… especially when you begin to see in the Word that the “strong” men and women of faith chronicled in the Bible went through many of the exact same things that you and I face!  I’ve been looking at one of the references to Abraham’s faith as captured in the book of Romans chapter 4, verses 18-22 just before turning out the lights at night the last two days and when I studied it out this morning, I was amazed to see some common threads between Abraham and me… REALLY!  Abraham and Jim… Abraham and YOU!

I won’t copy all the verses here, but it would be good if you read the story in your own Bibles!  I’ve always remembered this verse as translated in the King James Version but I caught a different look from quite a few other translations that state:

“And without being weakened in faith he (Abraham) considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:19-21 ASV)

Some translations including the King James place a “not” following the word “considered” but when you read the context of all the different versions, they are all actually making the same point.  The American Standard and many of the newer versions just seemed to make the point exceptionally clear to me!  As I read that the other night I had to stop and sit up in bed as I spoke aloud my thoughts saying, “He considered the physical facts of his situation… he acknowledged them… he most likely had to fight negative thoughts of helplessness and doubt… and yet kept focused on the promise of God and did not waiver!”

Wow!  That is the exact same reactions that I’ve had to face over the last ten years!  Wow!  Abraham the great father of our faith had to fight the same things I do!  Romans 4:20 in the English Standard Version relates that when faced with the difficult thoughts that attacked him, “he grew strong in his faith…”  This tells me that it was very personal to him!  The previous verse in the God’s Word translation tells us that “Through faith he regarded the facts…”

Abraham looked at the facts every day – just like you and I do.  He probably had people around him telling him to give up and let go or that what he was doing wasn’t going to work, or that he needed to follow their advice in order for what he was believing for to happen… but he did what he believed God was telling him to do!  Abraham depended on his own faith and as one of my favorite versions of this story in The Message Bible says: “didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. (but) He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God…”

Well, I want you to know that seeing how our Christian forefathers operated within the scope of their faith has made me to see that my personal struggles are not something unique or even a sign of weakness or defeat… but a normal process that every sincere and God-seeking Christian has and most likely will go through as they walk in this world with Jesus at their side!

How about you?  Where do you fit in with this story?  I think that at times my worse enemy is myself… but then I take a look at Romans 8:1-2 and I feel a whole lot better about me!  Take a look at those verses when you need some relief from personally induced condemnation!

Have a great weekend as you walk victoriously through the trials and tribulations that attempt to block the pathways you take in your daily life.  And as you do, keep asking yourself… “Am I expecting to live my life like the great men and women of our faith did?” (and if so… then… What’s the problem?  Go easy on yourselves!!!)

It Ain't Easy!

I have to admit that when Piper and I embarked upon this commitment of faith for her good health back in late 2007, I NEVER expected it to be as hard and long an ordeal as it has grown into today!  Talk about a roller coaster ride!  This adventure in faith has taken more twists, turns and wild downward spirals than that first old wooden rollercoaster that I rode as a kid that scared the bejeebers out of me and kept me off rollercoasters until I was well into my mid-twenties!

On the upward side though, this rollercoaster ride has taken many more positive turns than negative!  And even though doom and gloom was predicted for us as we began to take steps of faith, we’ve learned to stay the path, to look beyond those in disagreement with our steps and keep our eyes on the prize of what we continue to believe that Papa God and His Word has promised to Piper and I.

But let me be perfectly honest here… It ain’t easy!  There are times (like today…) when I suddenly gave into the pressure building up inside and tossed the syringe I was using to help Piper partake of her breakfast across the room!  And let me tell you… right afterwards I felt like a complete fool, as the dog jumped up and looked at me like I was crazy… and I was left with chocolate over-spray across the floor and nearby wall!  A real man of faith… right? 

Well, thank God that I have also come to experience Him over these last ten plus years to be full of mercy and grace.  We have a little wooden plaque that one of Piper’s pre-school students gave to her back when she was a teacher at the First Presbyterian Pre-School when we were first married, that hangs in a prominent place in the living room and continually reminds us that “Faith makes things possible… not easy!”

Later today, after the helping-my-wife-eat-breakfast episode, I was reviewing my Bible Study notes from yesterday and was reminded that I had been studying a portion of scripture in Proverbs 3:3-4.  Through the King James Version, the writer encourages us to, “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” 

This is a promise that I have depended on throughout this whole ordeal that we find ourselves in the midst of.  It seems like there are always new doctors (which I just found out that our Hospice team is seeking, even as I sit at my laptop right now!), new procedures, insurance questions and changes, new caregivers and on and on… but through it all, we have continued to remind the Lord of His promise of favor and at almost every turn the doors have been opened wide!

As I looked up some of the original Hebrew meanings to many of the major words in these verses, I took special note that the word translated “truth” in most Bible versions actually means “Stability, firmness, sureness and continuance.” (Strong’s and Brown-Driver-Briggs)  In the Greek it symbolizes a “conviction of truth – which in the New Testament is defined as a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things.” (Thayer’s)

Those definitions got me to thinking!  I realized that the writer was not just referring to God’s Word as being the truth, but was also pointing to our need to stay firm, sure and convicted to that truth while it works its way in whatever stand of faith we purposely find ourselves pursuing!

So… as I stood splashing cold water on my face at the bathroom sink after trying to help Piper eat more of her breakfast without much success, it was of utmost importance that I NOT give in to all the discouragement that was raging within my head and NOT say anything EXCEPT what the Word of God says about what Piper and I are standing for!  And once again… Let me say… It ain’t easy… but at times like this, all I can AFFORD to do is to set aside what I might be thinking, or feeling, or desperately wanting, and focus in on Papa God and His promises to me and Piper!

After all, my fresh look at Hebrews 11:1 this morning pointed out the fact that “Faith is the substance of things hoped (or expected) for…”  To which Thayer’s Greek Definitions declared the meaning of “substance” to be “that which has actual existence!”

Do you get it?  This verse is telling us that the thing that Piper and I are believing for… her healing which is promised to us in the Word… actually exists!  It is out there… RIGHT NOW… in heavenly places and is just getting ready to be manifested in the natural realm!  So, even though we can’t see it right now… IT DOES EXIST through our faith!  Whoa!

What do you think about that?  With that kind of promise I have everything I need to put aside the desires to give in and give up and stand true and strong with our commitment to Papa God and His Word!  It may not always be easy… but it is well worth the effort! 

What would you do?

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “What stand of faith is actually existing for me right now!?”